The knowledge, the will and the power: a strategic planning framework to meet the sexual HIV prevention needs of African people in England

Duration: February 2007 - July 2012

In 2007-08 Sigma Research worked with the National African HIV Prevention (NAHIP) partner agencies to generate a consensus-based framework for planning national and local HIV prevention with African people in England. The planning framework, published as The Knowledge, The Will and The Power (KWP) includes a clear model of HIV transmission-related behaviours and HIV prevention needs among African people, and is based upon the collective values and goals of the NAHIP partnership. It articulates an ethical and rights-based framework within which all NAHIP parters agree to undertake their HIV prevention activities.

KWP describes the behavioural, social and biological factors that contribute to the sexual transmission of HIV among African people living in England, and highlights feasible, ethical and realistic targets for HIV prevention programmes. It also describes what African people need in order to have control over these targets, drawing on research, health promotion expertise and consultation with key stakeholders.

To write KWP we analysed health promotion materials and reviewed the wider literature to create a list of potential topic areas prior to interviews and focus groups with NAHIP partners and other key stakeholders. These interviews and groups explored their values, theories and the principles that are implicit in their work and any conflicts between approaches to HIV prevention between agencies. A final draft was also circulated for consultation among agencies that undertake HIV prevention for African people in England. Alongside this framework development process, Sigma Research undertook an HIV prevention needs assessment among African people in England called Bass Line. These two projects informed and supported each other.

In 2008-09 we again worked with the NAHIP partner agencies to devise a planning Handbook to accompany The Knowledge, The Will and The Power. The Handbook specifies a range of interventions that are used to reduce HIV prevention need among African people in England. It addresses key planning issues and outcomes related to each type of intervention.

The KWP framework was first published in March 2008 and has not been updated since. It remains available here as a dowload but will not be re-printed in its current form. During 2010 we have worked on an online version of KWP that integrates the Handbook. The website, called KWP in Practice was first published in September 2010 and includes substantially updated elements of KWP (but the same aims).

This project was commissioned by the African HV Policy Network on behalf of NAHIP, a national HIV prevention initiative for African people in England. NAHIP is funded by the English Department of Health.